Gunmen Slay Senior Spanish Naval Officer

July 30, 1985|By United Press International

MADRID — Suspected Basque guerrillas assassinated a Spanish Defense Ministry admiral Monday as he rode to work and seriously wounded his driver in the second fatal terrorist attack on a senior military official in six weeks.

Two or three gunmen in a stolen car in- tercepted the auto containing Rear Adm. Fausto Escrigas and his driver as they drove downtown to the Defense Ministry and opened fire through the window, authorities said.

Doctors said Escrigas, 59, died instantly. They said he had 12 bullet wounds.

His civilian driver, Francisco Maranon, 57, was rushed to La Paz Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery to remove a bullet lodged in his head. His condition was listed as ''very serious.''

Hours after the shooting, police located the booby-trapped getaway car and detonated 6.6 pounds of plastic explosives attached to a timing device.

Defense Minister Narcis Serra said the shooting appeared to be ''a classic attack by ETA'' but no group immediately claimed responsibility.

It was the second terrorist attack on a high-ranking officer in Madrid in six weeks. ETA, the Spanish acronym for Basque Homeland and Liberty, killed an army colonel, his driver and policeman in a June 12 attack that coincided with the signing of a treaty paving the way for Spain's entry into the European Community.

ETA has killed 50 military officers since taking up arms in 1969 to fight for independence of the three northern Basque provinces.

Escrigas, as general director for defense policy, was a key adviser to the Spanish Joint Chiefs of Staff on national and international defense policy.